Dr. Aru Narendran, MD, PhD, FAAP, is a Professor and Clinician Scientist at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, holding appointments in the Departments of Oncology, Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Physiology and Pharmacology with a clinical appointment at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. With doctoral training in Immunology from Arizona State University and clinical training at McMaster University, the Hospital for Sick Children, and Tufts University, Dr. Narendran brings expertise in pediatric oncology, hematology, bone marrow transplantation and immunology to his work at Alberta Children’s Hospital. He has authored more than 115 peer-reviewed publications and led early-phase clinical trials through the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Consortium (POETIC). He received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his contributions to pediatric cancer research in Alberta.
Narendran, Aru
Paediatric Oncology
Professor
MD, PhD
Biography
Area of Focus
Dr. Narendran’s research is dedicated to discovering and advancing novel therapeutics for children with rare, high-risk, and treatment-resistant malignancies, including brain tumors, leukemia, and sarcomas. His laboratory integrates computational chemistry, molecular modeling, and neoantigen identification to design and validate next-generation immunotherapies. He is involved in the FDA and Health Canada-approved pediatric brain tumor vaccine clinical trial (NCT04943848). He leads translational efforts that span preclinical drug discovery through early-phase clinical trials, working closely with academic collaborators, regulatory agencies, and industry partners to bring innovative treatments to patients.
Summary of Research
Dr. Narendran leads a translational research program that spans novel therapies development, targeted drug discovery, and early-phase clinical trial biology for children with refractory malignancies. His laboratory focuses on the identification of pediatric cancer neoantigens and is he an active contributor to the first FDA and Health Canada-approved neoantigen vaccine trial for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), one of the most lethal childhood brain tumors. Recent high-impact publications include inborn errors of immunity and cancer (Human Immunology 2026), cancer-associated fibroblasts in fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (Scientific Reports, 2025), CDK9 inhibition in KMT2A-rearranged infant leukemia (Blood Neoplasia, 2025), and neoantigen vaccine-induced immune responses in high-risk pediatric leukemia (Hum Vacccin Immunother, 2021). As a dedicated educator, Dr. Narendran teaches the graduate course Anti-Cancer Therapeutics and Clinical Trials (MDGE 630) at the Cumming School of Medicine, supervises multiple PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows, and provides core curriculum teaching to pediatric oncology residents and fellows, training the next generation of clinician-scientists committed to improving outcomes for children with cancer.
Area Of Focus
Dr. Narendran’s research is dedicated to discovering and advancing novel therapeutics for children with rare, high-risk, and treatment-resistant malignancies, including brain tumors, leukemia, and sarcomas. His laboratory integrates computational chemistry, molecular modeling, and neoantigen identification to design and validate next-generation immunotherapies. He is involved in the FDA and Health Canada-approved pediatric brain tumor vaccine clinical trial (NCT04943848). He leads translational efforts that span preclinical drug discovery through early-phase clinical trials, working closely with academic collaborators, regulatory agencies, and industry partners to bring innovative treatments to patients.
Summary Of Research
Dr. Narendran leads a translational research program that spans novel therapies development, targeted drug discovery, and early-phase clinical trial biology for children with refractory malignancies. His laboratory focuses on the identification of pediatric cancer neoantigens and is he an active contributor to the first FDA and Health Canada-approved neoantigen vaccine trial for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), one of the most lethal childhood brain tumors. Recent high-impact publications include inborn errors of immunity and cancer (Human Immunology 2026), cancer-associated fibroblasts in fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (Scientific Reports, 2025), CDK9 inhibition in KMT2A-rearranged infant leukemia (Blood Neoplasia, 2025), and neoantigen vaccine-induced immune responses in high-risk pediatric leukemia (Hum Vacccin Immunother, 2021). As a dedicated educator, Dr. Narendran teaches the graduate course Anti-Cancer Therapeutics and Clinical Trials (MDGE 630) at the Cumming School of Medicine, supervises multiple PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows, and provides core curriculum teaching to pediatric oncology residents and fellows, training the next generation of clinician-scientists committed to improving outcomes for children with cancer.